1879 Flowing Hair Stella, Judd-1635, PR58+Among the Most Iconic of U.S. Patterns

1879 $4 Flowing Hair, Judd-1635, Pollock-1833, R.3, PR58+
NGC. In U.S. numismatics, attitudes toward patterns are almost
diametrically opposite between the main current and specialists.
While devotees of the series prize great rarities, only a handful
of patterns have broken into mainstream popularity, and almost
invariably these are among the more common issues, simply
because they have the right mix of rarity (relative to the mass
mintages made for commerce) and enough availability to encourage
broad interest and a significant market for such pieces.

The stellas, especially the 1879 Flowing Hair version, benefit from
a "perfect storm" of similar variables. Several hundred of the
pieces were made for members of Congress, ensuring a balance
between rarity and availability. With a face value of four dollars,
they were a great novelty in their day and remain so to the
present. With time and the maturation of U.S. coin collecting, they
entered the canon, so to speak, appearing in the Guide Book
and other popular resources, and enthusiasm for such pieces long
has endured.

This PR58+ representative offers a great opportunity for collectors
who want a good-looking example of a stella but would find an
unimpaired proof out of reach. It shows modest cabinet friction on
the high points of its honey-gold surfaces and an assortment of
light hairlines and contact marks, most visibly between STATES and
OF on the reverse, yet the overall eye appeal is solid. For the
right collector, this will be a "dream coin" and owning it perhaps
a crowning numismatic accomplishment.From the collection of Donald E. Bently, sold for the benefit of
the Bently Foundation.(Registry
values: P1) (NGC ID# 28AZ, PCGS# 8057)